Truss panel



J. W. ALLEN Feb. 7; 1961 TRUSS PANEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 6, 1958 INVENTOR. J5/UZ W Mem, BY

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.lill/fitti J. W. ALLEN TRUSS PANEL Feb. 7, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 6, 1958 INVENTOR. Joh/z W @dem @j-MW form of the invention.

lflflitd. Statesl Patent 'r TRUSS PANEL John W. Allen, La Grange, Ill., assignorto Stauray Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 6, 195s, ser. No. 112.,"159` 1 claims. (otros-41o).

This invention relates to panels and more particularly to a trussweb sandwich panel especially adapted for` use asa railway, freight car. end. p

"The walls of railway cars are oftensubjected to high stresses. Loads carried by cars weighfmany tons and are, frequently, bulk commodities or articles notsecurely braced` within the car. The sudden starting,` stopping, aceelerating and decelerating, in addition to the constant swaying to,` whichcars are subjected during` service, im-

severe stresses to" the walls thereof. rIltis condition exists particularly in the end walls of cars. A common typeof endwwall `is one in which a metallic plate iS formed with a plurality of substantially parallel corrugations which extend between spaced apart posts or frame members. "The design of corrugated. endwalls have undergone changes: fromm` time to'` timeto increase the etrength thereof` without increasing weight until the ultimate in strength of corrugated plate of a given material and weight has been reached andlconsequently, `if further strength is desired with the same material and weight,` other factors must contribute thereto. Due to, the'inf creasing speeds at which trains arerun, a proportionate increase in `the strength of the car walls is necessary.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a railway car end comprising a truss panel of` sandwich construction which proyidee greater strength than a corrugated plate of the `same weight.

Another object is to provide a laminated. panel `for use as, a `railway ca r ,endl comprising athin flat outer sheet, a corrugated innersheet, andfspaciog and reinforcingmembers in the form of bars,` or rods, of` uniform crossesection. The shaper and disposition of the reinforcing bars, or rods, may be vwidely varied but in a preferred arrangement the rods .are bent into a sinuous or wavy shape, the alternate crests of which are secured to the lsheets by welding.` The corrugations in the inner sheewtwand the rods are horizontal and extend from side to side of the panel which isi secured at its side margins to the corner posts of the car,` and thusn the rods and corrugations function as beams between lth e"corner posts;

In the drawings, forming part of this application, and wherein like reference `characters indicate like parts:

Figure `l is a reduced end elevation of a railway ca r showing one application of theinyention as a railway car end.

` Figure 2 is antenlarged View of a portion of `Figure l.

Figure 3 isla vertical section on theline 3 3, FigurewZ.

Figure 41 is a horizontal section oneY the line 4` -``"4,

Fisvrsyl Fighe 5 isa section similar to Figure 3 of a modified Figure 6 is a horizontal section similar to Figure 4, but of the modified form shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an end elevation of a railway car showing a further modied form of the invention.

Figure 8 is an enlarged section on line 8 8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is an enlarged vertical section Online 9f9, Figure 7.

lt is a relatively simple matter to increase the strength of a railway house car end wall by increasing the thickness of the metallic plate from which it is made from the usual one-quarter inch to say three-eighths inch, but this would also increase the weight fty percent, as well as increase the cost of the material and the cost of pressing the heavier material.

Referring now to Figures l, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, a composite steel end is shown which comprises a horizontally corrugated inner sheet 104, and outer hat sheet 12, and a core comprising a plurality of vertically spacedsinuous rods 14 which are parallel, horizontally disposed, and the crests of which rods are welded to the crests of the corrugations and to the outer sheetfas at 16 and 18, respectively. The corrugations 2t) of the inner sheet are trapezoidal in cross section and of uniform width and depth entirely across the sheet. Similarly shaped wood iiller pieces Z2 are installed endwise in the inwardly facing corrugations 2? so that lading band anchors or inner lining may be secured thereto as and when desired. The wood fillers 22 are held in position against lateral displacement by the shape thereof and of the corrugations. and outed sheets 1t) and 12, respectively, so that the rods 14 and corrugations Ztl cooperate as beams between the corner posts of the car. The outer sheet acts in tension to resist outward pressure from the car lading. This tension is part of the horizontal beam action to carry the load to the corner posts indicated at 2d. Also this sheet 12 acts as a Vertical` diaphragm to spread the force of a concentrated load to a large area in the Vertical direction. It is secured across its top marginto the end plate of the car and acrossits bottom margin to the end sill 26 ofthe car.

The inner corrugated sheet It) acts` as the compression element of` the horizontal beam. This corrugated sheet also acts as a. steel liner for the car end and kprotects any desired non-metallic liner secured thereto (not shown),

The core of the sandwich panel consists of Sa-round steel rods bentin sinusoidal form to form trusses in the horizontal. direction. These rods are parallel, equally spaced, coincident with the spacing of the corrugations, and` induce maximum efciency to the inner and outer skin to act as flanges of the horizontal beams.

The corner posts ofthe car are indicated atZd and extend at the Acorners of the car from end plate to `end sill 26 (Fig. 9) as is common. The corner posts are of Z-section comprisingangularly disposait arms 28 and 3i), the arm 28 terminating in a ange 32 parallelwith the car side, and arm 30 extending to the outer sheet l2 parallel with the side wall. The corrugated end sheet l() extends from corner post to corner post, and is secured at its `vertical margins to flanges Sil of the corner posts, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. End sheet i() s also secured across its top margin to sheet l2 and across its bottom margin tothe end sill 26. a a

The outer sheet 12 is for the most part fiat and4 parallel with the corrugated sheet.` The ends of the horizontal rods terminate in a vertical plane inwardlyof thencar sides somewhat, as indicated clearly in Figure ""Th'e sheet lzextends oyer the `rods 14 and flangesiihand at the opposite vertical margins` are turned `diagonally as at 36 to' `avertical plane parallel with thelangme 32 of the corneri"post,` `where the sheetvll `teri'ninates infaflange 38 overlapping and secured tothe anzes 32.

The bends in the rods forming the core of the panel are resistance welded to the spaced sheets by making two welds simultaneously, using the rod as the center conductor between the welds.

The rods .'14- are securedto the inner.

Y In Figures 5 and 6 the rods forming the core of the composite end have alternate portions 40 which are normal to the sheets and l2, and 42 which are diagonal to the sheets 19 and 12. l In this modification the bends of the rods, which are welded to the corrugated sheet 10, are Welded in the valleys of the corrugations, as clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6. The electrodes of the welding machine are placed at opposite ends of the portions 4t)y of the rod with less liability of the rods collapsing during the welding process. Otherwise, the structure is the same` as that described in connection with Figures l to 4, and the same numerals of reference are applied to the corresponding parts and need not be again described. v

p In Figures 7, 8 and 9, the corrugations 50 of the inner sheet are rectangular in cross section so that filler strips for the corrugations, orv lining boards over the entire inside of the end, would have to be fastened thereto by nailing stud bolts, or other means of securement. The rods of this modification are like those shown in Figure .6, and comprise portions 52 which are normal to the corrugated sheet and outer sheet 12, and portions 54 which are diagonal to the sheet 12. On opposite sides of the vertical center line of the end, the diagonal portions extend in directions toward the said center line.

ward a vertical plane passing through the center of `the end and parallel to the car sides. In this modification, I have shown spaced vertical Wood studs 56 in the core of the composite end. These studs are in length a little more than half the height of the end. An equal number of studs S6 are in the lower and the upper halves of the end, so that they overlap somewhat the`transverse center of the end, as clearly shown in Figure 7. The studsperform several functions. It is a convenient method of aligning and holding the web members during the assembly process. They Valso act as nail holding areas to which the wood liner boards, or filler strips, may be secured, the nails piercing the corrugated liner sheet in the process. The studs'also give the composite structure better energy absorption capacity to resist irnpact loads, and act in conjunction with the Vertical diaof the plate, a plurality of substantially sinuous, spaced, parallel, elongated rods between said sheet and plate, the crests of said rods being secured to said sheet and plate, angles at the sides of the panel, each angle having an arm normal to said panel and an arm extending outwardly parallel thereto, said at metallic sheet extending to and secured to the edges of said arms disposed normal thereto, turned thereover and secured to said parallel arms, and said corrugated plate and said sinuous rods extending between and secured to said arm disposed normal thereto within the bounding planes thereof, the arms of said angles and the included portion of the at metallic sheet forming a hollow box section at the sides of the panel.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said rods are parallel to said corrugations and each rod is secured to a corrugation.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said rods are parallel to'said corrugations and each rod is secured to the crest of a corrugation.

4. The structure of claim l wherein said rods are parallel to said corrugations and each rod is securedpto the valley of a corrugation.

5. The structure of claim l, and a plurality of spaced non-metallic studs between said sheet and plate and extending in a direction normal to said sinusoidal members from opposite ends of said panel to and overlapping each other somewhat at the transverse central portion of the panel.

6. A composite truss panel comprising a flat metallic sheet, a corrugated metallic plate, the corrugations of which are parallel, spaced, and extend from Vside to side Y of said plate, a plurality of substantially sinuous, spaced,

phragm action of the outer sheet 12 to spread out the i effect of a concentrated load to many horizontal beam elements. The filler blocks, or the wood liner boards, also act with the corrugated inner sheet to spread out horizontally the eiect of concentrated impact loads.

From the above, it is apparent that I have devised a composite end structure having advantages over existing designs of the same weight in that it will provide greater strength in beam action between the corner posts. It will also increase the strength due to the vertical distribution effect of the outer skin and the core in spreading a concentrated load to a wide area. Thus this composite end will absorb higher concentrated impact loads before permanent yielding than the present corrugated ends of the same weight.

With the filler strips 22 applied in each corrugation, the end structure provides a smooth interior surface to the lading, and said strips cooperate with the corrugations Vand the web members in distributing a concentrated load to the corner posts. When a plywood, or other nonmetallic, liner is applied over the whole corrugated sheet,

`said liner is completely backed up by the composite end structure.

I claim:

1. A composite truss panel comprising a at metallic sheet, a corrugated metallic plate, the corrugations of vwhich are parallel, spaced, and extend from side to side parallel, elongated rods between saidsheet and plate, and a plurality of spaced non-metallic studs between said sheet and plate and extending in a direction normal to said sinusoidal members from opposite ends of rsaid panel to and overlapping each other somewhat at the transverse central portion of the panel.

7. As an article of manufacture, a composite end wall for a railway car, comprising spaced corner posts each having al ange normal to said end wall and a second flange parallel to said end wall, spaced parallel metallic sheets forming inner and outer faces of said end wall, the sheet forming the inner face of said end wall having a plurality of spaced parallel corrugations therein, said sheet extending between and secured at its side edges to the flanges normal to said end wall, the sheet forming Y References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS L 1,496,872 Conwell Iune l0, 1924 1,505,554 Gilpin Aug. 19, 1924 2,121,288 Gilpin June 21, '1938 2,379,640 Johnsen July 3,l 1945 2,746,139 Van Pappelendam May 22, 1956 2,778,458 Briggs Ian. 22, 1957 

